April 19
Getting rid of old electronics and computer hardware has always been an interest of ours as it comes up all the time during our data recovery work. It’s interesting from a data security and privacy standpoint, but also for a general concern for the environment and living in a greener planet!
E-waste is a multi-edged sword when it comes to the challenges it presents to our environment, health, global waste management and of course our privacy and security. We store all sorts of personal information on our digital devices that can potentially be used for criminal activity or identity theft.
The good news this week comes in an update from the Consumer Electronics Association in the U.S. on their ‘eCycling’ initiative and promotion campaign. The CEA reports a big increase in electronics recycling – up 53% in the past year! Check out a video from them on the results below:
See all the computers, laptops, and hard drives in there?
Are you one of the growing number of people that are seeking out drop-off locations for used electronic gear?
Keep in mind what happens to your systems after they are discarded. You don’t know! It is hard to determine or control where your old computer hardware and media ends up. So you’re going to want to protect yourself and any sensitive information that might be sitting on an old HDD by wiping it clean with CBL’s Data Shredder software. Data Shredder is a free utility app that you can download and run on your hard drive before sending it away. It will erase data off the drive completely and securely. Then you can relax and continue on helping the eCycling movement grow. Not to mention helping the Earth stay green!
More on CBL Data Shredder
Source: CEA press release
Category: helpful hints
Tags: data deletion, data destruction, data security, data shredder, data theft, recycled computers, wiping drive
